Sept 1, 2025: Two people were washed away in the flooded Nallah in the Mahore area of Reasi today, and eight people were rescued from the flash flood of Chenab in the Assar area of the Doda district after heavy rains hit parts of the Jammu region. This evening, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was partially restored to clear stranded vehicles with essential supplies for Kashmir, but the highway remained closed for new vehicle movement from Jammu or Srinagar. A woman and her 11-year-old son, according to official sources, were washed away this evening in the flooded Nallah near Kansooli village in the Gulabgarh area of the Mahore Sub Division in the Reasi district. Both were crossing Nallah when water suddenly rose. She attempted to save her, but both were washed away by the Nallah as the minor son began to vanish. Later, the body of the mother was recovered by the villagers. The boy however, swept away in the strong currents and his body could not be retrieved.
They were identified as Zulfa Bano (41), wife of Bashir Ahmed and her son- Basharat (11). A search operation for the boy's body has been launched by the police and locals. According to reports from Rajouri, a landslide on Saturday afternoon in the Gundi neighborhood of Khawas in the Budhal Assembly constituency caused total damage to at least seven homes. Families could not receive immediate assistance because of the heavy rain in the area. The people whose houses have been damaged are- Chandia, son of Nizam Din; Zaval Haq, son of Chandia; Mohd Aslam, son of Chandia; Kala, son of Ghulam Hussain; Munir Hussain, son of Bagga; Mohd Altaf, son of Kala and Zaffar, son of Kala, all residents of Gundi in Khawas (Budhal).
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A local social activist from Budhal area Farooq Inqlabi alleged that he contacted concerned Tehsildar and ADC Kandi last evening but no official turned up for immediate help. The affected families sought refuge in nearby residences. The concerned Revenue staff arrived on Sunday, he said.
Kotranka's additional deputy commissioner. Dil Mir, however, said that these families have been provided immediate assistance including ration, plastic sheets and blankets etc through Patwari and Naib Tehsildar concerned. They will also be provided tents. He claimed that three structures of five families were damaged at Gandi village.
Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Abhishek Sharma said that after receiving information about the landslide and house collapse incident at Gundi on Saturday, he immediately directed ADC Kotranka to send staff and provide immediate assistance to the affected families and he received back response too from the concerned officials.
He claimed that more than 150 houses have been damaged partially or fully in the district due to recent rains and landslide. The village of Panjnara, where the land is sinking, has experienced a significant loss. Over 20 families have been shifted to safer locations from there. He stated that more than Rs. 1.50 crore has been released and distributed to the district's affected families. In Surni village of Ramnagar Tehsil in district Udhampur, five houses collapsed due to landslide. However, there were no reports of fatalities there. Baldev Raj, Jagpal, Suram Chand, Charan Dass, and Subhash Chander are the impacted villagers. According to officials, these families were relocated to safer areas and received immediate assistance. The Kucha home of Bashir Ahmed, the son of Abdul Rahim and a resident of Dugrun Panchayat in the Kahra neighborhood of district Doda, was completely destroyed. The members of this poor family, however, escaped to safety.
Meanwhile, rain lashed today in most areas of Jammu region with few spots receiving heavy to heavy rains. Rains continued to affect some areas of the region's power supply. According to a meteorologist, it is possible for parts of Kashmir to receive rain late at night as well. “There are chances of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in twin regions,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a night long rescue operation, Jammu and Kashmir Police saved lives of eight men trapped in Chenab river.
Sandeep Mehta, the Senior Superintendent of Police in Doda, stated that around midnight, a distress call regarding eight individuals trapped in the middle of the Chenab River in the Karmail area of Assar was received at Police Station Assar. The individuals were using makeshift wooden raft but got trapped amidst the floating timber. On receiving information, District Police Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) along with SDRF were immediately mobilized to the spot with all necessary rescue equipment. The situation aggravated due to dense fog over Chenab, which reduced visibility. However, he added, the trapped individuals were able to safely navigate toward the woods and the river bank with the assistance of powerful torches and coordinated guidance. According to SSP Mehta, the rescue effort, which lasted approximately three hours, was carried out under the immediate supervision of DySP DAR SDRF Adil Rishu, with assistance from SHO PS Assar Inspector Rakesh Bandral. Additionally, the Army provided crucial assistance, and a team from Police Station Batote was also present on the scene. Due to the prompt and coordinated efforts of Police, SDRF, Army, and local support, all eight individuals were rescued safely without any casualty, he said.
He added that enquiry in this regard is underway to ascertain the circumstances under which the persons got trapped in the Chenab river, adding, “At this stage, it is being verified whether they had entered the river for the purpose of illegally collecting timber in violation of the prohibitory order of the District Magistrate or otherwise.”
The public has been urged not to engage in such risky behaviors by the police, as attempting to enter Chenab using unsafe rafts or improvised means can prove fatal and life-threatening.